


A Life in Your Shape

by kindnessandlaughter



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Allusion to marriage, F/M, Promise, Subtle mentions of sex, Swearing, ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-06 10:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19061116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindnessandlaughter/pseuds/kindnessandlaughter
Summary: After so much death and destruction, a future of peace and love continues to make 9S smile.And if that means he need to use certain human rituals to make 2B smile as well, then of course he's willing to do it.AKA-- 9S gets 2B a promise ring.[Spoilers for the end of Nier: Automata]





	A Life in Your Shape

9S had been scavenging the abandoned shopping center when he found it, tarnished beyond belief and littered with other unidentifiable trinkets.              

A sort of routine he liked to do, in order to occupy his time, was looking through past elements of human civilization to see what had been abandoned. He and 2B had done it before, commenting on the various usage of accessories, but his curiosity had increased now that he no longer had duties to attend to.

It didn’t help that looking back on these items now held a different significance, since he had viewed them with almost a sense of awe due to the humans that were taking cover among the moon base.

When that was proven to be false in its entirety, well… it made it seem more like lost memorabilia of YoRHa’s dead gods. It seemed worth it to take a closer look.

9S had teared apart and fixed multiple gadgets, all that were far more complicated than the bland piece of metal he encountered. He recognized it as being a ring, an accessory humans used to garnish themselves with through their lust for trivialities. He couldn’t blame them though, there was certainly an understandable attraction to such an idea. Perhaps that’s why 9S took it with him, contemplating it as a worthy sell.

With other select items, he traveled back to the Resistance Camp to meet a certain android that inhabited it. One that held his own shop despite the fact he was also willing to purchase and bargain. The shopkeeper, who mostly handled weapons and raw materials, had everything nicely splayed out in case anyone were to try them. While 9S sold the various items he found in the commercial facility, 2B, who had decided to accompany him this time, was leisurely looking through swords behind him.

Item after item passed through the shopkeeper’s thorough inspection, each stemming a good enough price. It was only when he saw the corroded ring that he seemed to stop, seemingly trying to formulate something in his mind.

“Sorry,” 9S muttered, assuming the state of it was what had caused him to hesitate, “I figure it might be useful as a good material.”

The shopkeeper merely stared at him, more in confusion than any sense of genuine surprise. “You’re selling this?”

9S nodded.

The shopkeeper held the ring in his hands, twisting and fiddling it, to the point where it looked like he spoke almost without thinking. “It’s a ring, you know. Humans used to gift this to one another, as a way to prove their devotion in a relationship.”

9S blinked. “I actually vaguely remembering hearing that as well.”

“Real popular among couples these days, though they usually make them from scratch.” His gaze shifted to something behind 9S, where a quick turn-around showed that the shopkeeper was looking at 2B. She was practicing the grip on a black katana farther away from them both, no longer in earshot.

The shopkeeper seemed amused somehow. “I’m surprised you weren’t one of them, with the way you seem to act around that girl.”

Details about the two remaining YoRHa members in camp would often spread, even the most inconsequential ones. This certainly hadn’t been the first suggestive comment 9S had heard.

Still, 9S suddenly felt incredibly warm. “Yeah uh we’re…” _a couple? In love? Attached to the hip? “_ … together.”

The shopkeeper smiled. “You sure you want me to take the ring then? They make nifty gifts, and this one can be easily fixed with a few modifications. Especially if it’s for that lovely lady.”

9S was ashamed to say that he hadn’t even considered it. It hadn’t been popular amongst YoRHa members, or even considered for that matter, and sometimes human tradition simply did not weave its way in. YoRHa sought to protect human culture— not use it. 9S knew of ‘rings’ and romantic outings because he was inherently curious, but that type of thing wasn’t encouraged.

9S felt a jab at his side, remembering that it didn’t really matter what YoRHa did anymore.

Trying to shake the feeling away, he glanced at the band of metal, thinking of some quote he must have read some time ago. _A symbol to intertwine two people’s fates forever._

“It’s more significant than a regular gift.” 9S had said it as a mere fact, thought it came out more like a question. The shopkeeper nodded nevertheless.

9S thought of 2B and felt an uncontrollable rush of warmth and love. He had already given her tons of fixed up shirts, all she accepted graciously, but something about the human history that went into the whole idea of a ring intrigued him. Especially if it was so amorous and showed just how much he cared for her. Even more than the shirts did.

 He’d polish it up and fix it up until it was beautiful as she was.

“Thank you for the idea.” 9S said, unable to contain a smile on his face. He took the ring and pocketed it, not saying a word about it to 2B when they left the shop.

-

He spent days, in secret, melting, shaping, and polishing the ring until the silver shone quite nicely, using abandoned tools and borrowing from great swordsmiths. After 9S unlocked further information on rings and their purpose, he decided to write ‘ _for 2B’_ upon its surface to personalize it further. Perhaps it was silly, but etching her name on something so significant made their relationship all the more real. He was brimming with excitement once he finalized the finishing touches, with the only thing left to do was to… well, give it to her.

But something within 9S told him to be patient, and to gift it when the timing was absolutely appropriate. It needed to be special, and perhaps waiting a bit longer than necessary was far more fitting for their developing relationship.

Which meant 9S had to stop himself from offering the ring immediately after they had made love.

It had been amorous, jittery, and fueled by curiosity and desire alike. The demonstration of love had been different, showing a vulnerable side to them both combined with an unquenchable _need_ to feel the other.

As they laid naked, side-by-side on the Resistance bed, 9S had been tempted to backtrack on his promise and offer it to her immediately. But as he reached for his utility belt, which had been unceremoniously dumped on the drawer beside him, 2B moved closer to him. Despite the fact that he was shorter than her, she rested her head on his chest and intertwined their legs together with so much ease. As if it were merely part of a routine to wrap her body around him in such a casual and ardent manner.

They were used to each other, even their bodies by that point, and yet.

He melted at the spot.

9S further accommodated himself into his lover’s (!!!) embrace, the ring temporarily forgotten until he would lay awake into the hours of the night.

At some point, even the pods intervened.

“Analysis: Unit 9S wishes to provide Unit 2B with a gift, in order to show care and affection.” Pod 153 said to him once, while he and the pods traversed the barren wasteland of the desert. 2B had stayed at the Resistance camp for repairs, while he searched for old world treasures as a favor to one of the androids. “Proposal: Deliver the gift immediately in order to reaffirm commitment to one another.”

“Alternative proposal:” Pod 042 pipped in. “Unit 9S should wait for a more fitting ambiance before offering a gift, in order to reassert his devotion to Unit 2B in a far more promising manner. Suggestion: Provide Unit 2B with the gift during a romantic outing.”

9S blushed, quickly looking at his surroundings to confirm that no one else was there to bear witness to their discussion. He stopped to direct himself at Pod 042. “I think you’re right. Maybe I should even wait for like a special date, or something…”

Pod 042 raised his robotic enhancement and snapped his metals claws together as if in agreement.

9S racked his mind to see if any event was coming up, but nothing seemed familiar enough. The date they woke up could have been a cause for celebration, and yet it hadn’t even been a year since then…

He was suddenly stricken with the urge to pull the gift out once more, despite the risk of it getting lost between the infinite grains of sand. Pulling it from the pouch, he felt the smooth engraving that decorated it, creating the word _for_ , the number _2,_ and the letter _B._

Viewing it with the sun reflecting directly upon it, 9S realized that there were still small scratches adorning its surface.

_Man, I need to polish it again_ he thought to himself. But there seemed to be more to it than that. It didn’t shine like he thought it had, and the metal could still easily corrode in the wrong environment. 9S had put all his efforts into fixing it, and yet… had he really thought about what 2B would think about it? She was never much for accessories, even now, and thinking that she would somehow enjoy the ring made his face warm with embarrassment.

It didn’t help her with fighting, it wouldn’t promote their safety. Perhaps a gift like this was simply overdoing it. Either it meant too much and it was too soon for their relationship, or the ring was just so meaningless now-a-days that it wouldn’t affect 2B in any way.

And what had she said so many months ago?

_Gifts are such a useless ritual._

At least she had gotten her consent for the shirts...

Pondering it himself, with the pods still surrounding him expectantly, he muttered quickly. “Actually…”

Though still without any facial features or methods to convey particular emotions, 9S could feel their apt attention to what he was going to say next.

“I don’t know if she’ll like it.” 9S finished.

Pod 153 moved closer to him in an otherwise quiet manner, ignoring the low whirring any pod was prone to make.

“Query:” she started “Why does Unit 9S wish to further accumulate stress onto himself with this hesitance?”

He spluttered as he answered. “Well, because I don’t want to give her something she won’t like! It’s not gear, it’s not for battle—”

“It does nothing to enhance Unit 2B’s combat capabilities.” She reaffirmed.

“Exactly.” 9S sighed. “I should probably look for a better gift.”

Pod 042 returned to the conversation. “Suggestion: Cease any decision making until Unit 9S is in a better state of mind.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

Perhaps he was merely overacting, with his concerns not truly holding any merit. Still, he pocketed the ring once again, willing to think of other alternatives for his dearest 2B. She was worth the effort, after all.

He hadn’t even answered Pod 042, and yet he didn’t seem to be expecting an answer either. 9S continued to walk, back with his thoughts as the pods traveled beside him.

-

Days had passed, with 9S’ decision still stuck in purgatory. He hadn’t had much time to follow-up any ideas, as he and 2B were too focused on scouring the forest, slashing the little hostile machines remaining.

A2 had joined them, both a rarity and a fact that couldn’t help but make 9S uneasy. Though the hostile airs had cleared between them, it was evident that they could never fully forgive the other for their actions. Being with her for too long sent 9S’ mind reeling, recalling such feelings of anguish, hatred and _that certain event over and over again._ He couldn’t deny that something similar must have occurred within her.

Still, they worked well as a team. And as A2 was reintegrated back into overall society, they both made the effort to attempt a peaceful coexistence.

 They had been walking back from a small mission, passing through surroundings the group didn’t seem familiar with. Though 2B often took the leadership role, 9S was better at navigating the woody expansions since he was attentive to detail. A part of him still marveled at the sight of natural intervention amongst past human relics, even if it was mostly composed of broken pieces of concrete.

He ran forward so they wouldn’t waste any time, just a few steps ahead of 2B. A2 took a defensive stance and guarded them from some meters behind.

The map of the area was displayed to 9S, and yet he was having difficulty regaining their route back to the resistance camp. Especially since it seemed to be showing a sparse area, one that did not correspond with their surroundings.

“2B!” Called A2 from behind, suddenly, “you dropped this.”

9S was too fixated on scouring that he paid little mind to A2’s words, serving only as a vague reminder in the back of his mind. He noticed that animal packs could easily inhabit such a sparse area, yet they hadn’t encountered any hordes of them either. It didn’t make sense, especially if they were within this area of the map.

 “What is it?”

How embarrassing… His misreading must have caused them to loop to the same spot--

“Isn’t this your ring?”

Whatever focus 9S had on the surroundings, and by proxy paying little mind to A2’s words, ended with a clash as the question cut clear in the foggy concentrations of his mind. Though he knew it couldn’t have been the case, 9S felt something akin to his whole body malfunctioning.

“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with it.” He heard 2B reply, finally persuading 9S to spin around to see what must have been his most egregious mess-up.

The sun bearing down on the earth caused an iridescent light to be seen from the ring, a fact that the two female androids unlikely noticed. A2 was staring intently at the ring, looking more and more confused as time went by. “It has your name on it.”

2B quickly took the small band, raising it into a sky to get a better look.  The fact that she was examining his gift- _one he hadn’t even decided to give yet, one that wasn’t ready-_ was making it very difficult to operate.

It fell out of his pocket, of course.  

“I’ve never possessed such a thing.” 2B said, her nose crinkling in puzzlement.

_And maybe even disgust?_

9S quickly trotted towards them, trying to calm his sparking circuits, as both 2B and A2 looked at him strangely.

Completely not sure how to act in the situation whatsoever, he chose to feign ignorance.

“Huh.” He started. “W-what’s that you got there, guys?”

2B twisted the small ring in her hands, looking between it and 9S in small glances. A hint of understanding glinted in her eyes, and yet her face remained impassive.

A2, on the other hand, carried a far too mischievous look on her face as she placed a hand on her hip. “Come clean. You dropped it, didn’t you?”

9S merely stood still, somehow thinking that if he kept a straight-face that they would not catch him out. He was concentrating on his act so much that he jumped when 2B’s gloved hand slipped into his.

He hadn’t been aware just how close she had gotten. She still had the ring in her other hand, where she continued to fiddle with it without notice. Looking back at her, she slowly tilted her head to the side in a questioning gesture, yet still retaining that cool look in her gaze.

“It has my assignation on it, 9S.” She said smoothly, with only a slight pause as she carried on. “Did you intend to give it to me?”

This truly was humiliating, especially with A2 intruding. Fighting the urge to crawl into a hole, 9S nodded quickly.

An unreadable expression crossed her features, and, for a terrible moment, he thought his suspicions had been correct and that she hadn’t wanted anything like this at all. But 9S felt a tight squeeze at where their hands were united.

“Do the honors, then.”

She was so close, and she was so beautiful that he thought he would burst just because of their proximity. Her other hand dropped the ring into his palm, and he slowly lifted her hand.

It was rather difficult to put it over the glove, as the fabric wrinkled when the ring was pushed further, making 9S realize how silly it looked. He quickly removed the glove and placed the ring upon 2B’s naked finger, which looked as lithe and delicate as usual despite their true power. Without thinking, he quickly pocketed the glove the same place he had hidden the ring.

It was simple, but it looked so nice upon her smooth skin. The small engraving was still visibly crafted on its surface, but it seemed to convey exactly what 9S wanted—subtle devotion. The sunshine continued making it glisten and shift brightly.

2B let go of him so that her fingers could move across his face and lay at his cheek. It wasn’t an unprecedented move at this point, but it surprised him nevertheless. The warmth of her palm at the side of his cheek was familiar in the most exquisite way, though it still sent a jolt through his spine. The shame, which had so colored his face, had been momentarily forgotten.

Pressing herself forward, and downward in order to catch his lips, 2B kissed him softly and sweetly and all the ways she had done before. Despite how public the whole event was, 9S barely hesitated before kissing her back and bringing his hands to the nape of her neck.

They had never kissed in front of anyone, including A2.

A2 let out a low whistle, as they separated from one another. “I knew you guys were fucking.”

“A2!” 9S immediately scolded, feeling himself blush further than he already was. He barely even registered how he addressed A2 in such a familiar fashion.  

2B, on the other hand, looked somewhat amused at her words. “Actually, only once or twice so far.”

“2B!” He bristled. The other two laughed, no doubt at his scandalized face.

A2 took the lead, passing between the two lovers with a hand on her hip and speaking in a cool voice. “C’mon, I have places to go. There will be time for coddling later.”

“Hardly coddling!” 9S spoke defensively, though he was glad the two other androids didn’t take him seriously. The jokiness in the air felt calming in a way.

Though his heart sped up when 2B took his hand and continued walking, leaving him no choice but to follow. She turned to the side and smiled at him, so genuinely that her eyes lit up and her entire face seemed to glow.

How he could have lived without her like this, he could never know.

Trailing after A2, their interlaced fingers tightened around each other. 9S felt the bump of the ring on her finger, and all he could do was smile.

Perhaps 2B already knew what the ring symbolized. Perhaps he could just tell her later. Perhaps it didn’t even matter if she did. He knew what the slow caresses on his hand meant.

_Our lives intertwined._

_Forever._


End file.
